text:
PRESS BLOG E-MAIL TWITTER FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM
Studio Failcore debiutuje grą Invisible Fist
FAILCORE
FAILCORE IS A GAME STUDIO MESSING WITH GAMES, POLITICS, AND POP-CULTURE.
Tag: Weekly Update
August #1 Post – Writing the Invisible Fist and Why We've Been So Quiet
August 7, 2018 by Natalie Severt
So, remember when we said we wanted a demo by the end of June? You know, mechanics, programming, graphics, and a full, written character? Well, we meant July.
That's why you haven't heard from us in awhile.
The good news is we did finish a demo version of the game. That means we have one written, playable character. And that's despite the fact that we still need to implement some core mechanics.
So, without further ado, we are pleased to introduce you to Jeff Whiz! Our anxious but lovable Silicon Valley CEO trillionaire. Woo!
To bring Jeff to life, I had to write the following types of text for the game:
Main and Weekly Quests
Support Dialogue
Cards and Flavor Text
Introduction and Tutorial
Currently, the introduction and tutorial are still in development. As we write further characters, we will add to the text that appears in these sections. Also, we still have two more characters to write, and want to add more cards and flavor texts.
Writing Jeff Whiz's Weekly Quests for Invisible Fist
To get things started, each character has one main plot line. Players have 8 weeks of gameplay to unlock one of four story endings for the main story.
The ending you get depends on your performance. Do well and you'll unlock a positive ending. Fuck up and your ending is going to suck.
The catch? The end result affects gameplay for other characters. What you do and how well you do as Jeff makes things harder or easier for Rena and Dian.
Here's a taste of Jeff's main storyline:
It's time for you to launch a new Soma Corp. product. Make sure you don't fuck it up!
That's more or less the first thing you see during gameplay. Then, the player gets further mini quests at the beginning of each week.
I wrote three quests for each week for a grand total of 24 randomized quests. We want to give the player plenty of content to explore if they come back for more of any one character.
Each story also has three possible endings that trigger based on player performance. Eventually, the weekly quest will include tasks for the player to perform. We are still working on implementing those mechanics.
Here's an example of a weekly quest:
To write Jeff's quests, I researched what Silicon Valley Founders do all day. Then I added a healthy dose of realistic exaggeration. It is a game, and in the end we want it to be exciting!
But I've also tailored it to give players a full sense of the character's time, place, and culture. In the end, Jeff's stories should reflect the work and leisure culture of the Valley.
For example, Jeff is the richest fictional man in the world. Yet, I've made sure that he spends his money like a good tech billionaire and not like a general super rich person. As if I knew.
Writing Jeff Whiz's Support Character Dialogues
So, I'd have to say that the dialogues were the biggest pain in the ass to write. Why?
For starters, there were a buttload of them. Jeff has two support characters. His lovely mother, Mona, and his personal AI, Soma. Multiply that by three possible types of conversations:
The Snap Decision
Plus, we've built tiers into the conversations. So, whenever Jeff talks to mom or Soma, his responses will move him up or down the relationship tiers.
Say nice things to mommy, and you move up to a more positive tier. Make mommy mad, and you get demoted to a more negative tier. You can also remain neutral in your exchanges, making your movements more incremental.
That means that I've written enough dialogue to allow players to stay in one tier if necessary. That's a lot of dialogue, folks!
Not only was there a buttload of text, but each dialogue sequence follows a rigid format. Let's take another look at the types of dialogue:
The Small Talk Sequence
Small Talk interrupts gameplay, prompting the player to have a conversation. Because the player does not start the conversation, the support must speak first.
Mona: Hi Jeff, what are you doing?
The player is then given three possible responses. It's here that the RPG aspect of Invisible Fist becomes visible. The player must select one answer.
Jeff:
Hi Mom, I'm doing fine! How are you?
Hi Mom, I'm working. What's up?
I'm working. I don't have time to shoot the shit with you.
The player gets a positive, neutral, and negative answer. Here, it's obvious which answer is which. The differences are more subtle in the game. Plus, I've written negative answers to bait players. Some answers are funny, others express annoyance at interruptions.
Once the player chooses a response, they receive a corresponding response. We designed the entire sequence to look like an exchange of text messages.
Here's an example of a Small Talk sequence between Soma and Jeff:
The Plan and the Snap Decision
The other types of dialogue sequences include the plan and the snap decision.
The format is the same for both. The support character asks the main character if they will do something. The player accepts or rejects the request, triggering a corresponding response.
Supports make plan requests in advance. Plans involve larger time investments from the player:
Mona: Jeff, are you coming home over the weekend?
Supports make snap requests now. Snaps involve smaller time investments, but force you to drop what you're doing:
Mona: Jeff, call me right now!
Here's an example of a Plan sequence between Mona and Jeff:
As you can see, I'm limited by the fact that the main character never speaks first. Also, Jeff only responds once during dialogue sequences. The support character always gets the last word.
In the future, I want to create more diverse and complex dialogue formats.
Finally, the dialogue was difficult because it does the character building heavy lifting. And that's true for Jeff and his supports.
How do you write a convincing mother? How do you write an AI character that is both assistant and girlfriend? How do you hint at who Jeff is through his interaction with these characters?
Inspiration for Mona:
Personal Experience
Passive/Aggressive Behavior
I've lived abroad for many years, and when you're not nearby, you must answer all the questions:
Why are you so thin in that picture?
When are you going to get married and have children? Tick, tock motherfucker.
Plus, I decided to make Mona passive-aggressive and frustrated. For her, you aren't successful or a real adult until you've made a baby. Jeff is an anxious person. Relationships are hard. Mom pushes him to do the one thing he's never mastered.
And there's the conflict.
Inspiration for Soma:
Siri and Alexa
Shit Girls Say
I wanted Soma to be both the jealous girlfriend and Jeff's personal assistant – that happens to not have a body or a human mind.
Hinting at the Real Jeff:
Each support hints at things from Jeff's past that help the player get a fuller idea of who he is. At the same time, Jeff is a fluid character that the player builds.
No you don't get to accessorize him yet. But you do get to decide if he's a dick or a sweetheart. Which will you choose?
Inspiration for Invisible Fist Cards and Flavor Texts
Finally, we come to the cards and their corresponding flavor texts.
First, we split cards into three types:
Jeff's work cards reflect realistic tasks that a Startup CEO might handle during a work day. Nothing too fancy. The same will hold true for other characters.
The sleep cards were harder to write. It's difficult to come up with a million different sleep nouns. I had to get creative here – e.g., Wet Dreams.
As for leisure cards, the idea was to think of exciting things for Jeff to do. Here's where a little bit of imagination helped. There were a few restrictions:
Jeff's Personality
Silicon Valley Culture
What would an anxious, super rich guy in Silicon Valley do for 2 hours that's exaggerated? Go to the beach? Too normal. Eat a live octopus? Better. Eat a cobra? Why the fuck not?
Some of the cards are more normal. For example, Jeff can play video games like a normal dude. At the same time, players will eventually spend game money to buy leisure cards. So, we do want to give players a little bang for their buck.
As for the corresponding flavor texts, I decided that I wanted to strike a tone based on:
Toxic Masculinity
Heavy-handed Worshiping of Capitalism
Money Worshiping
Valuing Work Instead of Rest
Our Sports Commentator delivers the flavor texts. He taunts and ridicules the player when they choose sleep or play over work. He also praises them for working and consuming.
We don't want Invisible Fist to deliver an overt political or economic message. Our text follows logic – i.e., you smart off to your mom, she gets pissed.
At the same time, we do want to goad players. So, some flavor text contain twisted, hardcore Capitalistic truisms – e.g., Time is money!
In the future, I want the Commentator to also narrate in the style of professional wrestling. Think Bash in Glow.
There's a lot of room for our Sports Commentator to grow.
As an RPG card game, Invisible Fist relies on its content. There is a lot of text and writing. Plus, we designed the game to be irreverent, snarky, and full of dark humor.
After months of careful research, infinite coffee, and countless cigarettes, I've managed to bang out Jeff Whiz for your entertainment. Please enjoy responsibly!
Posted in Weekly UpdateTagged Failcore, The Invisible Fist, Weekly Update
June Post #2 – Implementing Backgrounds and Dialogue Systems
June 21, 2018 by Natalie Severt
Here at Failcore, we're a bunch of ambitious bastards.
So, we've decided that we want to have all of the core mechanics, programming, and graphic design done by the end of June. Yippee ki-yay.
As for the writing and the game play, we should have one of three characters fully fleshed out by that time as well. The goal is to have Jeff Whiz fully operational – written and playable – by the end of the month.
But that's not all, folks!
We are also working on perfecting the UI, designing a tutorial, and polishing a teaser trailer.
So, for a quick review, here's what we want to achieve by the end of the current sprint:
Get systems in place for dialogue and mechanics.
Finish the UI (a real pain in the ass), battle animations, and graphics for Jeff.
Write all of the general content and all of Jeff's content.
Implementing Dialogue Systems for the Invisible Fist
Let's start with the technical stuff.
Our programmer is implementing a dialogue triggering system for main characters and supports. He's also adding animation to the speech bubbles.
First, our programmer decided to use Google Spreadsheets as a Content Management System (CMS) for Unity. After much thought, he decided that would be the easiest way to add content to the game.
Essentially, each Google Spreadsheet will work like a single SQL database.
For The Invisible Fist, the first sheet contains Story IDs for the character in play. Besides the main story, a new story triggers every week. Within the stories, there are scenes for dialogue, triggering around 2 – 3 time s a week.
While stories trigger at random, we can still connect them to dialogue sequences if we please.
The dialogue sequences must adhere to specific conditions to trigger. We have currently assigned three conditions for dialogue sequences to trigger:
Relationship Points
Dialogue Completed
Quest Completed
Each dialogue sequence contains a root dialogue and various offshoots of potential dialogue. These "nodes" trigger depending on how the player decides to respond. Here you can see the dialogue file and triggers:
There are three types of dialogue:
The small talk dialogue sequence offers the player response options that further trigger positive or negative results for the relationship. For example:
Jeff's Mom: Jeff, do you love me?
Jeff: Of course I do! / (Fake an urgent phone call.)
Jeff's Mom: I love you too! (Positive) / I wish I'd aborted you. (Negative)
Plans and snap decisions can result in nodes that drop quests. For example:
Jeff's Mom: Have dinner with me.
Jeff: I'm starving. Rainforest Cafe? / I've just eaten.
Jeff's Mom: See you there! (Quest Triggered) / You're the reason I take Zoloft. (No Quest)
Accepting or rejecting quests can also triggers results including:
Blocks in Card Play (e.g., You can't play work cards when eating out with mom.)
Assignment of Relationship Points (e.g., You piss mom off or make her happy.)
Further Dialogue Sequences (e.g., Dialogue triggered by connection instead of chance.)
Our programmer chose the system so that triggers cascade seamlessly as you play. In the image above, you can see both the Story IDs and the cascading results.
The system also gives the Game Designer and me the flexibility and ease to write, connect, and add content as we please.
Here is what we still need to do:
Finish the System
Add the Content
Test the Triggers
Also known internally as the FTSATCTTT process. Oh yeah.
Other than that, we are well on our way to creating a seamless experience for our gamers.
Designing Backdrops for our Main Characters
Okay, that was kind of heavy. Let's switch gears and talk about art.
For the last few days, our graphic has been busy creating different backgrounds that correspond with our main characters.
For example, Jeff Whiz's original background was a helipad on the roof of a skyscraper. Now, you can also play Jeff against a red carpet and on board a yacht.
We've also decided to add some special effects to the backgrounds. For example, the red carpet background will include an intense paparazzi camera effect similar to this:
What was the hardest part of making the backgrounds?
Our graphic said:
"Making lots of little paparazzi."
She also admitted that she listened to Lady Gaga's Paparazzi while she worked on the tedious animation. Obviously.
Why did we decide to have more than one background?
We decided multiple backgrounds would add variety to the game and give more depth to the characters. You see, The Invisible Fist is heavy-handed on the storytelling.
Players don't get to pick and personalize characters.
Oh, I want to be a neon purple Night Elf Warrior Princess named Sally with a double-edged battle axe and a Mohawk.
You play Jeff Whiz. And Jeff is a fictional character that we've created for you to discover.
So, we hope that more backgrounds will add some variety to the game. You know, spice things up as they say. Proper backdrops to set the stage.
We also hope to subliminally convey some of the broader character strokes. We want to be subtle of course. So we chose yachts and a red carpets for our rich character. Not subtle?
Oh well, it looks cool. Who cares?
When will the backgrounds change?
We haven't decided yet.
Our Game Designer explains:
"The backgrounds may change at random or may connect to the story. Because we are still writing the story, and many elements of the plot are randomized, there is a good chance that the backgrounds will simply change periodically throughout gameplay."
What was the inspiration for Jeff's backgrounds?
When I asked our graphic what her inspiration was for the new backgrounds, she said:
"Rich people shit. I just imagined myself as a rich bitch."
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.
That's about all for now, folks! Stay tuned for more adventures in the making of the Invisible Fist. Things to look forward to include:
UI Implementation
Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter, follow us on Facebook, or check out our other articles. Have a nice day and don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you.
June #1 – Animating the Invisible Fist and Adding Support Characters
June 8, 2018 by Natalie Severt
It's the beginning of June. The summer has landed! And while the rest of you enjoy the sunshine and a spritzer or two, Failcore employees are hard at work.
Here's what we've been up to:
For the last few weeks, our Game Designer has been working silently. But it's time to unveil the new mechanics!
Meanwhile, our Graphic Designer has been busy animating our monster hand.
And I have been setting up our social media profiles and content pipelines.
Animating the Invisible Fist is a Handful
When we debuted The Invisible Fist at A Maze, we only had a flat character to show as the game's main opponent.
As a villain or fighting opponent, the fist did little more than attack with a punch and smack during each round regardless of the player's choices.
We've decided to animate the hand more during this cycle of development. The idea is to give the fist more character depth that will tie in with its backstory and symbolic role in the game.
Of course, that's easier said than done. As you can see in the image above, our Graphic Designer sometimes backhands our hand.
She says:
"Drawing hands is a bitch, especially invisible hands."
But she's confident that even visual players will rub their hands together over our new range of cheeky gestures and attacks.
Beefing up Supporting Character Mechanics and Plot Lines
Speaking of supporting characters, the fist is not the only role getting a makeover.
Each of our main characters has two support characters to interact with during game play. Some supports comprise only one character, some more than one. Some are human and some aren't.
As the game progresses, we nudge players to interact with their support characters at least two to three times a week. There are now three possible types of interaction:
Each interaction requires the player to choose between maintaining relationships or prioritizing daily actions. Because real life is about striking a balance between work and everything else, right?
Small Talk – Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!
The small talk interaction is just that:
Mom calls and asks how you're doing. You blow her off because you need both hands and most of your toes to count the number of things you have to do.
Mom feels pushed aside. Next time she calls she says, "You've done so well for someone who didn't finish college." Since when did you become Tony Soprano? Does it matter or not?
Even the Best Laid Plans…
When you make plans with your support characters, it does affect your day-to-day. Do you have time to take Becky to the mall? Only if you skip that marketing meeting on Friday afternoon.
How is Becky going to feel if you don't take her? She needs a new lip gloss and Heather is going to be there. She just might hate you forever if you say no.
On the other hand, getting her hopes up might be even worse. Can you keep your promises?
It's up to you to manage your time and your relationships.
You. Me. Wine. Now. My Cat Gave Birth and You're My Best Friend!
Finally, the third type of interactions are snap decisions. Sharon wants boxed wine RIGHT NOW. The twist? You can only meet with Sharon if you didn't plan for anything else.
What happens if you don't show up to toast her cat's afterbirth? Guess you won't be first in line next time she has Taylor Swift tickets for two.
Here's a sneak peak at a couple of our support characters:
With the mechanics mapped out, our programmer will start programming and our writer will start writing. Our graphic will start graphicking? That's not a word.
You get the picture.
The next several weeks should be smooth sailing as we pump out content. After that, it's a matter of working out all the bugs and making things work. See you next week!
Yes, I would like to receive occasional marketing about games made by Failcore.


text:
FOOD N INFO
Groupon teams up with Grubhub for food delivery
Groupon is turning over much of its food-ordering and delivery business to Grubhub.
Groupon's hungry deal-seekers will be able to order from restaurants in Grubhub's stable of 55,000 restaurants directly from the Groupon platform. Grubhub, which has built out a large delivery component through multiple acquisitions, will provide the order and delivery services to Groupon restaurants.
The deal brings Groupon's customer base of 31.6 million to Grubhub. Groupon gets access to 55,000 restaurants and 1,100 Grubhub markets, compared with about 40 cities Groupon had from its acquisition of Baltimore-based OrderUp two years ago.
With the entry of Amazon and Uber into food delivery, Groupon faced a expensive, uphill fight. Food is just the latest traditional business to be upended by the smartphone and the gig economy where scale is the name of the game.
Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but Grubhub will get a commission on every order placed from Groupon. Grubhub is acquiring customers and assets in 27 of the former OrderUp markets. Another 11 are owned by franchisees and will be supported by Groupon.
For Groupon, restaurants have always been a big part of its core business of offering deals at local merchants. But Groupon CEO Rich Williams, who took over the top job about 18 month ago, has been pruning the company's operations in various overseas markets to focus on its strongest and most profitable geographies and business lines.
The partnership brings together two of the best-known names in Chicago tech. Groupon has struggled to achieve the growth and profitability investors have expected since it went public in 2011 at $20 a share. Its stock price is up 22 percent since June 20 to $3.76. Grubhub has fared much better. The stock, which went public in 2014 at $26 per share, is up 38 percent since March 8 to $46.13.
Both companies report earnings this week. Groupon is out Wednesday before the market opens, with Grubhub reporting results after the market closes Thursday.
Discovery to Buy Scripps, Owner of Food Network, in $11.9 Billion Deal
The Scary Reason Starbucks' Food Looks Identical No Matter Where You Are

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Here's the cross-talk from the FC bulletin this month. I'm going to do last month's one next.
N: Well, in a word, it's gorgeous. It really is a commemoration.
M: Even though it's all collected as a single album, I think there are a lot of catchy and bright songs. I felt like these ten years had passed all over again.
S: There's also a feeling of a reunion after a long time, from the time of the song's release to doing it at concerts to listening to it now.
A: When I'm listening to the songs, I still remember lots of things.
N: That's true; it has been 10 years, after all. We did so many things. Like, "Jan baru jan!" I miss that one.
M: No, it's not "Jan baru jan!" It's "Ganbaru sa!" ("Kimi no tame ni Boku ga Iru" lyrics).
N: Aah… is it "Gabaru sa!"?
—Please do tell us about the new song "5x10". For this song, Sho-kun was in charge of the rap while Nino took over the singing parts; with "Lyrics: Arashi", it's a 10th anniversary song.
S: It was like, we got the words and phrases we wanted to fit into the melody from everyone, then Nino and I took those and put them in order and those became the rap and the song.
N: As expected, the things everyone was saying went in different directions, yet were completely the same. So, while it sounds strange that it was easy to fit together, you could say that it was that polarity which allowed us to do it.
M: There are so many episodes packed into the rap section, so I like the chorus where Sho-kun's thankful rap and Nino's song overlap each other.
A: It's so deep… You remember so many things when you sing, so those feelings are included.
O: And the melody really matches… When you listen to it, it'll touch your heart.
S: After "5x10", there's actually another song that put in as a secret.
N: That was, seriously… is that seriously secret?
S: I was harangued countless times. "Those 10 seconds are the focus!" he said.
N: …… That's a secret, I guess. Those people who don't notice it will never notice it in their whole life.
—Now, as for the anniversary tour in the midst of all the meetings, what's kind of situation is right now?
M: The meetings are… really troubling. This is the most difficult it's ever been. It's like, everyone has their own thoughts but the one thing we all agree on is that there's a special place in our all of our hearts, so now the five of us are groping about for the contents of the tour which we can all agree on.
N: Of course, we're having trouble with the set list. What kind of things to do, what kind of songs to do, everything holds meaning, I think. And if that is the case, we should not only do things that hold meaning but we want to make "10 years" into something tangible.
S: Our gratitude to the fans is the main premise. We're worried because we desire to make this concert leave a deep impression on both the fans and Arashi.
N: But, okay, if you say that… between the summer of our 10th year and the 11th, we have to pass through winter, so the years just spread themselves out. That kind of tour itself is a first, and so is our 10th anniversary. I'm so happy that there are still new things happening. From now on, I think it feels like Arashi is going to keep rolling on, and on, and on. This tour is totally going to be fun, eh?
A: Yeah. I'm looking forward to it. We're really grateful to everyone for coming to the same kind of concerts for the last 10 years, so we thought it would be nice to convey that gratitude. Not only that, it's a tour to tell everyone, "Keep supporting us!" And just like the next one after this, we can only put on a fun concert!
S: Yeah~ well, you know, on one pretext or another, it's a "festival"! There are various memories, of course, but I think it would be great for everyone to have a great time and enjoy this 10th anniversary concert. And if we can put on a concert that will make everyone look forward to next year's tour, that'd be the best.
AMNS: Oh~! There it is: Leader's never-changing thank-you phrase!
O: I want to say it! It's for us as well but, if the fans got hurt too, they'd lose their fun… And that'd be sad. Safely, without injury, okay!
AMNOS: Yeah. Really, no injuries! Let's have a good tour this year, too!
—Now, lastly, everyone's plans from the end of August. In October, Aiba-san's serial drama starts!
M: Aiba-chan, you're doing a short story aren't you?
N: Ah, is it a radio drama?
A: It's not a radio drama! Um… The picture kind.
M: TV? A TV drama?
N: Ehh~ an animated video.
S: Our final weapon makes his serial-drama debut. Come on, let's have some enthusiasm please!
N: How long has it been since your last serial drama?
M: Since "Yankee Boukou ni Kaeru"?
A: That's right. Anyway, it's been quite a long time. Even I'm really looking forward to it!
S: Yea, so am I. All of us are.
M: I can't wait to see it. I'm definitely going to watch it.
N: Are you going to watch too, Leader?
O: Yes, yes. You know, rerun ratings are quite high.
S: Rerun ratings! But thinking about rerun ratings right now… you're cutting to the end.
M: Yeah, he is just a little bit.
A: I'm going to work hard so Leader can watch it on rerun!
M: Also, starting in September, "VS Ararshi" is advancing to Golden Time! We were only on local TV until now. So there are a lot of people who weren't able to watch it.
S: So this is the first time we'll be part of Fuji TV's nation-wide broadcast. Since the time of "Nama Arashi", we've always been on their station, but this time, it's finally the nation-wide broadcast! That means, people who haven't been able to watch it are now able to, and makes us the happiest.
M: And the look of some things is going to change a little bit from the way it is now but… I think it's great that the anticipation of it is part of the fun of the show.
PS: Yuckie-chan has scanned this so if you want to see what it looks like, look for it on her community (if you're a member).


Optimize your website's reputation and SEO at R1,200p.m. – ORDER NOW!
Search Engines like Google prefer to list websites that have a good reputation on the World Wide Web. This reputation is built and boosted (or possibly broken) by the number of people on the internet that are talking about you.
Off-Page Optimization looks at the current online reputation of your website and then helps you to fix the problems that are found.
For more information, see this Off-Page Optimization blog post.
Off Page Optimization is all about increasing the popularity of your website and making it highly visible in your line of business apart from optimizing the site in search engines. You increase visibility through the exchanging of links with other websites or directories, which will give you a much needed competitive edge in web page ranking.


The Center for African Studies was pleased to host Fall 2018 Visiting Artist Elisabeth Efua Sutherland. Sutherland is an artist, dancer, choreographer, playwright, and director, based in the West African nation of Ghana. Sutherland holds a B.A. in Theatre from DePauw University (USA) and an MA in Performance Arts from Brunel University (UK). Sutherland is co-founder of Ghana's Accra Theatre Workshop, which supports youth artists through free workshops and events throughout the year, focusing on contemporary, experimental theatre and performance. The Accra Theatre Workshop can be explored online through their website, Facebook page, Twitter, or Instagram. While at UF, Sutherland conducted workshops and performances through the dance program, met with curators at the Harn Museum and the libraries, and talked to faculty in theatre, architecture, and African Studies programs. She lectured at the CAS Baraza and performed "Black Noise" at the Harn Museum.
On Friday November 3, Sutherland presented "Deverb: Echo Chambers and Common Things Made Holy" at Baraza. This lecture was based on a work in progress, touching on commodity fetishism, social media, and society. She framed the lecture as an "exploratory literature review," working towards connecting the online social experiences of Ghanaians to what is being practiced in society. She hopes to use these discussions to understand how traditional performances such as Nyonkro can be influenced by contemporary culture. Sutherland began the lecture by considering the idea of the social media "filter bubble." This refers to the process in which internet users are encouraged to personalize their web presence, thereby informing algorithms that then provide users with tailored content. As content becomes more personalized, internet users become more entrenched in their "filter bubble," limiting exposure to things, people, or ideas that they do not agree with.
These "filter bubbles" reinforce the idea of the "echo chamber," where information and ideas are repeated and enforced, echoed back to the people who agree with the content. People with differing ideas are "unfollowed" and soon internet users have curated a social media presence that mirrors back the opinions held by the user. Sutherland makes the point that blocking or unfollowing people outside of your communities does not make them go away. Instead, responses like these gradually lead to segregation on social media. Sutherland notes that groups become exclusive and attack intruders, but how are these online behaviors different from behaviors expressed in physical space? These acts of exclusion push internet users further into echo chambers where only their opinions are being reinforced. Sutherland wants to continue down this line of thinking to link concepts of social media use back to traditional performances. Performances such as Nyonkro are highly improvisational but have a performance structure. Sutherland believes that freedom and control of narratives not allowed on the internet break down echo chambers and weaken the rigidity of dualities. She hopes to explore these connections in future work.
Sutherland performed "Black Noise," on Sunday November 5 at the Harn Museum of Art. Using sound, movement, and simple interactivity, Sutherland explored black as a lament, a color, a meditation. Viewers of her performance lined the walls of the gallery space at the Harn, following her on foot as she moved about the room. Her performance incorporated components of contemporary, modern, and traditional dance, with spoken word in Twi and English throughout.
This visit was made possible by the Center for African Studies, School of Theater and Dance, and the Harn Art Museum.


Going for a holiday to the parent's house for a week doesn't qualify as "living" there.
Whether you like living there or not doesn't change the fact whether you do actually live there or not, either. Liking it is irrelevant.
You don't have to live in a place to call it home. I'm talking about a place that'll always be there to touch base. A place you don't own and never will can be called YOUR home.
The last sentence was meant to be a question. I'm saying that it can't.
Hey thanks. Interesting music and blog! I'll keep my eye on it. Thanks for checking in to say hi. Rock on indeed.


Clement IV Born c. 1195, Gui Foulques served the counts of Toulouse and was a legal consultant to Louis IX. Widowed with two daughters, Gui was ordained c. 1256. He became a cardinal five years later and was in England on a diplomatic mission when he was elected pope in 1265. He took the name Clement because he was born on St. Clement's day. The following year, he made Charles of Anjou, brother of King Louis IX, King of Naples and Sicily; Charles' victories over Manfred and Conradin ended the Hohenstaufen line, which had once plagued so many popes. Clement lived in Perugia and Viterbo because the Romans were hostile to the papacy. Clement aided the Spanish in their battles with the Moors and corresponded with Michael VIII Paleologos about reuniting the Western and Eastern churches. Clement died in 1268, and three years passed before the cardinals elected Gregory X.


What do we want to achieve with education? What is the outcome we are hoping for? With the 'we', I do not just refer to teachers, but also to parents, family members and the community that help to raise children - the children that will become the adults of the next generation.
One day they will need knowledge and understanding to do their job, and to stand in careers, which is obvious, but it will be interest and passion, coupled with good values and attitudes, that will make them great in a vocation (not just a career) where they will find joy in serving others with their talents and expertise.
Recently a student (in Primary) told me he needs to learn so that he could get a high job one day; with low marks, he stated, he will only be able to get a low job. In another conversation, a student told me that his goal was to obtain an A, but at the time of the conversation, he did not want to work at all, because he did not like the task. It made me think of a little story I read in a book 'Heirs of the covenant' (by Susan Hunt), about three French stonecutters in the middle ages. I heard this same analogy this past week and thought it worth sharing with you.
A stonecutter in the story, negatively reported that his work was boring and backbreaking, according to instructions he receives daily. Another, working on the same job, said he was grateful to have a job to provide for his family, but that the work was repetitive - work, that he said, provided useful blocks for an architect to use. The third, when asked, pointed to a half-built cathedral, excitedly, and with a sparkle in his eyes, said: "I'm building a cathedral".
How do we put a sparkle in our students' eyes? If we go by this story it was not the load that was easier for the third stonecutter, but the sense of purpose, and the understanding that what he did was of value. His positive attitude and sense of joy were fueled by the knowledge that he was part of the big picture and purpose. His contribution counted.
It is not about high jobs and low jobs, but about how a community, made up of individuals that work with a sense of joy and fulfilment, serve each other – a community with good attitudes and values will be a good place to live in. If I need a doctor or plumber in my community, a shop assistant serving me, or a firefighter, I would like it to be one that loves their job, and one that will go out of their way to serve my needs. I would like others in turn, served by me, to perceive my attitude to be that too.
Every job can be a 'high job' and will require effort and encouragement– every student will need to develop, with hard work, their God-given gifts and talents to become that special person who a community values - and we need to work alongside them to achieve this. How? Let us praise what is of true value and let us find out more about those in the world that make, and are making, a difference for the good - then let us share that kind of information with our children. Let them be inspired- and let them aspire - to great things, and drown out' fake news' and shallow celebrity gossip (that often is not inspiring at all).
Parents, together we are building a 'cathedral', the next generation of adults, the greater community. Let us help them to find joy in working towards that bigger picture; a place where they will find enjoyment in the process of developing, and using, the talents and gifts God gave them to serve a community, not only one day as adults, but even now, still guided by others, but already important and valued.


The Snapdragon 845 is one constant among all flagship Android smartphones this year not made by Huawei. You can find it in devices like the Galaxy Note 9. Huawei is one of the very few manufacturers that develops its own processors and the company has unveiled the much awaited Kirin 980 chip at IFA 2018 in Berlin.
#IFA18 – When the Huawei P20 Pro was launched, we suppose that triple camera setup on the back was what caught everyone's attention, but at the same time we can't help but feel that one of the finishes offered by Huawei was also what drew many eyes to the phone, at least as far as the design was concerned.


Brenda & Philipp met at MIT when Philipp was doing a postdoc and Brenda was in a grad program. They were easy going, and fun to work with. I enjoyed exploring Cambridge City Hall before and after the wedding ceremony. The wedding was in a chamber on the second floor with portraits of old white men on the dark wooden paneled walls, and one jaunty color portrait of a blonde woman in a blue jacket. We used the light from the big windows halfway up the stairs to great effect. My favorite part about a Cambridge City Hall wedding is how people use the front lawn as a park. It was early on a hot August day, so the lawn was empty. But we did find the only shade under a beautiful tree and we laughed.


Manhattan Timeformations looks like a series of interactive schematics from a video game, but really it's a computer model that allows you to look at the relationships between the developments of the lower Manhattan skyline and other urban factors like farms, urban renewal, subways, and commercial zones. The visualization provides different views in the form of the traditional 2-dimensional map views as well as rotations, fly-throughs, and layers.
It's nice to step out of that Google mashup look every once in a while.


text:
De Isle of Wight Saturday Football League is een Engelse regionale voetbalcompetitie. De hoogste divisie bevindt zich op het 15de niveau in de Engelse voetbalpiramide.

Externe links
Yellow Jersey page

Engelse voetbalcompetitie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In this series we are dealing with a very sensitive issue but something that is very common in today's times. As tough a divorce is for a couple it is equally difficult for kids and children in the house. It would not be wrong to say that a divorce affects an entire family. Even if an individual may try to keep children away from this, they tend to get involved. Effort needs to be put in to make it least painful for the children.
In addition to taking care of your child it is equally important to take care of yourself. Some steps you can take towards this are to exercise often and eat a healthy meal. Meet your friends often even if you feel real gloomy. It may be difficult to answer their questions but their company will serve as an effective distraction. Avoid sharing negative feelings with your children. If need be do not hesitate to visit a therapist or a counselor.
Conflict between parents whether separated or going through the process of separation can be damaging for the kids. Keep the children away from the fights in order to make them feel as if they are to choose between you. It may once again sound difficult, but the point is it has to be done. You could make it a point not to argue in front of the children. Simply take your arguments some place where your children are not around.
Do not share all negative details about your ex behavior with your child. If nothing pleasant can be said, it is best to be quiet.
Try and be as cordial as possible while interacting with your spouse irrespective of the fact your child is present or not.
Focus on the strengths of the family for this will also encourage your children to do so.
Make some extra effort to maintain a cordial relationship with your ex spouse. Your friendship with the ex can be very very reassuring for the child.
Parents divorce may be extremely challenging for some, while for others it may not be that demanding. Children experience a range of emotions – anger, anxiety and even depression. Love and reassurance and loads of patience the child should be able to heal and recover. If children continue to be weighed down by their emotions and environment around it is time to seek help. Some signs to watch out in children are – sleep disorders, lack of concentration, eating disorders, tendency to injure self, outbursts of anger or violent behavior, being often in trouble at school and playground, withdrawal from company of loved ones and favorite activities. Watch out for these signs and bring them up with the doctor, teachers or take professional help from a therapist.
Time and again you will have to remind yourself of the big picture. In the big picture remember your child wants a relationship with both the parents and does not want to choose between his parents. Your child's physical, mental and emotional growth is a priority with you. This requires lots of planning and staying calm. Work for happiness of all – children, the ex spouse and yourself.
A broken family is never a pleasure for anyone. Separation is better than fighting and living in hell every day. But if there is slightest of a chance for reconciliation, a suggestion that I ended up giving one such couple was to discuss all their matters at a public place. The idea behind this was that they would be comparatively poised and behave better than they would in the house when they are all by themselves. Less dirt would be thrown at each other.


text:
package org.artificer.shell.core;

import org.apache.commons.collections.CollectionUtils;
import org.apache.commons.lang.StringUtils;
import org.artificer.shell.common.AbstractCommand;
import org.artificer.shell.ArtificerContext;
import org.artificer.shell.i18n.Messages;
import org.jboss.aesh.cl.Arguments;
import org.jboss.aesh.cl.CommandDefinition;
import org.jboss.aesh.cl.completer.OptionCompleter;
import org.jboss.aesh.console.command.CommandResult;
import org.jboss.aesh.console.command.completer.CompleterInvocation;
import org.jboss.aesh.console.command.invocation.CommandInvocation;
import org.oasis_open.docs.s_ramp.ns.s_ramp_v1.BaseArtifactType;

import java.util.HashSet;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Set;
import java.util.TreeSet;

/**
 * Command used to manipulate classifications on the currently active S-RAMP artifact.  This command
 * can add and remove classifications.
 *
 * @author Brett Meyer
 * @author eric.wittmann@redhat.com
 */
@CommandDefinition(name = "classification",
		description = "The \"classification\" command manipulates the classifications of the currently active Artificer artifact.  The artifact must first be in the current session through the getMetaData command.  This command adds or removes classifications on that active artifact.\nSupported sub-commands:  add, remove, clear\nExample usage:\nclassification add http://www.example.org/regions.owl#China\nclassification remove http://www.example.org/regions.owl#China\nclassification clear\n")
public class ClassificationCommand extends AbstractCommand {

	private static final Set<String> subcommands = new HashSet<String>();
	{
		subcommands.add("add");
		subcommands.add("remove");
		subcommands.add("clear");
	}

	@Arguments(description = "add|remove|clear [<classification>]", completer = Completer.class)
	private List<String> arguments;

	@Override
	protected CommandResult doExecute(CommandInvocation commandInvocation) throws Exception {
		if (CollectionUtils.isEmpty(arguments)) {
			return doHelp(commandInvocation);
		}

		String subcmdArg = requiredArgument(commandInvocation, arguments, 0);
		String classificationArg = null;
		if ("add".equals(subcmdArg) || "remove".equals(subcmdArg)) {
			classificationArg = requiredArgument(commandInvocation, arguments, 1);
		}

		BaseArtifactType artifact = currentArtifact(commandInvocation);

		try {
			if ("add".equals(subcmdArg)) {
				artifact.getClassifiedBy().add(classificationArg);
				commandInvocation.getShell().out().println(Messages.i18n.format("Classification.ClassificationAdded", classificationArg));
			} else if ("remove".equals(subcmdArg)) {
				if (artifact.getClassifiedBy().remove(classificationArg)) {
					commandInvocation.getShell().out().println(Messages.i18n.format("Classification.ClassificationRemoved", classificationArg));
				} else {
					commandInvocation.getShell().out().println(Messages.i18n.format("Classification.ClassificationDoesNotExist", classificationArg));
					return CommandResult.FAILURE;
				}
			} else if ("clear".equals(subcmdArg)) {
				if (!artifact.getClassifiedBy().isEmpty()) {
					artifact.getClassifiedBy().clear();
					commandInvocation.getShell().out().println(Messages.i18n.format("Classification.AllRemoved"));
				} else {
					commandInvocation.getShell().out().println(Messages.i18n.format("Classification.NoneExist"));
					return CommandResult.FAILURE;
				}
			} else {
				commandInvocation.getShell().out().println(Messages.i18n.format("Classification.InvalidSubCommand"));
				return CommandResult.FAILURE;
			}
		} catch (Exception e) {
			commandInvocation.getShell().out().println(Messages.i18n.format("Classification.ModificationFailed"));
			commandInvocation.getShell().out().println("\t" + e.getMessage());
			return CommandResult.FAILURE;
		}

		return CommandResult.SUCCESS;
	}

	private static class Completer implements OptionCompleter<CompleterInvocation> {
		@Override
		public void complete(CompleterInvocation completerInvocation) {
			ClassificationCommand command = (ClassificationCommand) completerInvocation.getCommand();
			String currentValue = completerInvocation.getGivenCompleteValue();
			if (CollectionUtils.isEmpty(command.arguments)) {
				for (String subcmd : subcommands) {
					if (StringUtils.isBlank(currentValue) || subcmd.startsWith(currentValue)) {
						completerInvocation.addCompleterValue(subcmd);
					}
				}
			} else if (command.arguments.size() == 1 && command.arguments.contains("remove")) {
				ArtificerContext artificerContext = (ArtificerContext) completerInvocation.getAeshContext();
				BaseArtifactType artifact = artificerContext.getCurrentArtifact();
				if (artifact != null) {
					Set<String> classifications = new TreeSet<String>();
					classifications.addAll(artifact.getClassifiedBy());
					for (String classification : classifications) {
						if (StringUtils.isBlank(currentValue) || classification.startsWith(currentValue)) {
							completerInvocation.addCompleterValue(classification);
						}
					}
				}
			}
		}
	}

	@Override
	protected String getName() {
		return "classification";
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Today is RELEASE DAY for all of the new OCTOBER Products at C.C. Designs!! As you have seen from our Preview Days, this release revolves around Christmas (which is right around the corner folks)!! For the month of October, we have 13 new character stamps, 4 dies, a Holiday Background stamp set, and a new Sentiment set.
For my blog hop Project I made a Christmas card using sweet Peppermint rubber stamp. I think this is my favourite stamp from this release. She was a pure joy to colour in.
I coloured the image using Distress markers and ink pads. Then I cut her out using Make a card #4 dies. Sentiment "Merry Christmas" is from the new sentiment set Holly Jolly sentiments (LOVE THEM!) and it was stamped on the smallest tag from Layering tags dies. I tucked the new Holiday tag die cut under the green layer of paper.
I added lots of Christmas coloured flowers and a few chipboards to make this card more festive.
*This Blog Hop will end on Sunday, OCTOBER 9th at NOON, 12pm EST. Winners will be announced the following week. Don't forget to also comment on each CCD PREVIEW DAY Post for a chance at winning a $15 CCD Store Gift Certificate, and answer the Facebook question for a chance at a free stamp.
Zelo lepa voščilnica. Všeč sta mi postavitev in barvna kombinacija.
Super cute card, love the design.
What a gorgeous card!!! The image is adorable! Love the papers you used and the flowers are stunning!!
Love your layering and embellishments! Adorable card with this sweet image and your pretty coloring!
Zelo lepa in krasna kombiancija prazničnih barv.
I love it! The flowers are gorgeous and Peppermint is super cute!
WOW! this is stunning ! amazing job !


text:
Wisconsin Teens Speak Out About Abortion
Evelyn Skyberg Greer
Wisconsin Teen's Speak Out About Abortion graphic by Evelyn Skyberg Greer
The 1973 landmark decision of Roe v Wade states that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant person's liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction. However since this decision was implemented, many anti-abortion lobbyists and politicians have been attempting to further remove abortion rights and protections.
As abortion rights across the country are targeted by state legislation, Wisconsin teens have something to say.
"Abortion is a human right. People with uteruses are the only ones with the right to decide what happens inside that uterus. To put regulations on abortion is a violation of that human right and an act rooted in misogyny," said Tosa West Sophomore Claire Guttormson. "Reproductive rights of BIPOC and trans people are and have been under constant attack and further restrictions will only make it worse for them to get proper care."
The Texas abortion bill, which took effect on September 1st 2021, is the first time a state has successfully imposed a six week abortion ban since Roe v. Wade. This law says that any pregnancy in which a heartbeat is detected cannot be aborted. That effectively means that if you're six weeks pregnant, you cannot have an abortion in Texas, because that is around the time when most fetal cardiac activity can be detected.
Guttormson finds this bill sickening.
"Pregnancy is a choice separate from conception and this bill disregards that. It's also incredibly disturbing that these old men found a way around constitutional protections to pass a bill simply to restrict the rights of women (the language of the bill only mentions women) and destroy the basic human right a person has to decide whether or not they want to have a child," she said.
The law makes no exceptions for rape, sexual abuse, or incest. The law also incentives the public to police abortions. It allows people to sue abortion providers or anyone else they suspect is "aiding and abetting" abortions after that six-week mark.
"[Citizens being able to sue the accused] might be the most egregious part of the bill, as it punishes abortion, but also encourages citizens to seek it out acting as a tattle-tale of sorts for financial incentive," said Tosa West Sophomore Kevin Kauflin. "Women have the right to dictate what to do with their own body."
Marquette University High School Sophomore Declan McCormick also disagrees with the bill's limitations.
"Most people don't even know they're pregnant at that [six week] point, the lack of exemptions for at the very, very least rape is outrageous, not to mention the forcing upon of religious beliefs and invasion of personal freedoms," they said. "The language used in the bill makes it very evident that an attempt is being made to not only prevent abortions, but to criminalize them as well, which is so stupid."
Tosa West Sophomore Ryen Felix has a different opinion on the matter.
"Once you are six weeks pregnant [abortion] should be banned because you had a month to think about whether to keep the baby," she said.
Although Felix feels that six weeks is enough time to make a decision, she feels only women should be in charge of making that choice. "I don't think that men should have a say in what goes on in women's bodies," she said.
About two weeks from conception and four weeks from their last period is when someone could potentially test pregnant after missing the start of their new period. However, unless the person is intending to get pregnant or closely monitoring their period, it is not likely that they will know they're pregnant in the six week time restriction. For people with irregular periods it is even more difficult to determine gestational age or period lateness. According to a study from 2017 by the NBCI, "Among all pregnancies reported, gestational age at time of pregnancy awareness was 5.5 weeks."
There are also several factors that further restrain the 6 week time window of termination. For example, if a person does not get a pregnancy test until about a week after they miss their period. Under previous Texas law, an ultrasound must also be preformed 24 hours before a person receives an abortion, restraining the time window even more.
This bill is the most restrictive abortion law in the country and is in stark contrast to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark decision legalizing abortion nationwide.
"It's a bunch of old white men thinking that they can control women again. It has taken everything that women have fought for and burned it," said Tosa East Sophomore Ash Janke.
Janke worries that the bill will influence other state abortion restrictions.
"It's a monkey-see-monkey-do type of thing. The public is not reacting the best, so it most likely won't spread, but there's always a chance, and that's scary," he said.
Wauwatosa West Senior Layla Allen also viewed the bill as being influential to other state legislation.
"I think that Texas is serving as a political laboratory. States with similar views will wait to see how this bill is ultimately practiced," she said.
Allen sees the bill as being a step in the wrong direction when it comes to women's equality.
"I think the bill is disgusting and a blatant violation of women's rights. This bill is a deception of our laws that prioritized political agendas rather than the rights of citizens," she said. "As a woman I interpret this legislation as a disregard for my consciousness. Abortion is a decision a women has to make. This bill takes away that decision, demoting women to second class citizens, who have been deemed to be unable to make decisions for themselves."
Allen also worries about the effect the bill will have on citizens access to abortion.
"I think this puts citizens in need of an abortion and abortion clinics in a very difficult position. That will ultimately impact many people's lives and create more animosity among citizens."
Marquette University High School Sophomore Declan McCormick also has concerns about abortion access.
"Access to healthcare is already unrealistically expensive and difficult to get for a large percentage of the population," they said. "Eliminating the possibility of safe abortion doesn't mean people will stop having them in unsafe or unofficial ways nor does it mean that they will keep the child, but the lack of compensating improvements to the foster system, which is already outdated and in need of improvement on its own, just outlines the sheer disregard the bill's proponents have for the actual well being of children who would otherwise be aborted, and in turn highlights the lack of respect and care for the parents who would be forced to endure childbirth and risk physical, mental, and financial harm when all of those issues could be avoided via a safe abortion."
McCormick is opposed to the idea of the church being involved in these decisions.
"Religious [views] of abortions in the legal system make no sense," they said. "Everyone practices differently and the United States government has no right as a nonreligious entity to govern worship and practices. If you want to preach against abortion, become a bishop, not a politician."
The Supreme Court is currently ruling to decide if a bill similar to that passed in Texas will pass in Mississippi. This proposed bill criminalizes abortion after 15 weeks and will effectively challenge Roe v Wade.
"I think that it is extremely unfair, especially to those who haven't planned on pregnancy or are unavailable to have and care for a child. It strips people of their rights to their own bodies," said Tosa East Sophomore Jesse Lee. "Abiding by this legislation means restricting what people are allowed to do with their bodies, which is restricting freedom. It draws attention away from the real roots of the issue, such as peer pressure from society, sexual assault, harmful beliefs, and more. It gives disadvantages and unfairness to child bearers and ignores the causes of these unwanted pregnancies," he said.
Tosa West Senior Naï Chalhoub also feels that these restrictions are harmful.
"It isn't equality if a person doesn't have control over their own body," they said. "It is the woman's right to choose what she does with her body."
Tosa West Sophomore Claire Guttormson hopes that the youth can have an impact on the decisions that are made.
"I think that as a young person I have the ability to put lasting pressure on my representatives and political leaders to protect my rights," she said. "People should never be denied the right to control their own bodies, and that means that they should never be denied the right to an abortion. This is an issue among many that will shape my future. Due to my youth I have the energy and the determination to continue to fight for that future."
Evelyn Skyberg Greer is a sophomore at Wauwatosa West and has been involved in journalism for the past three years. Her writing mainly focuses on gender...
City of Wauwatosa Receives Community Input Regarding the Spending of "American Rescue Plan Act" Funds
Members of TDT to Perform in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Community Service and Food Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Jelly
Wauwatosa West Homecoming Queens Make History
Wauwatosa East VS. West Football Game Cancelled, 9/17/21
4 Things to Know about Superintendent Candidate Kurt Schneider
Two East Students Receive Herb Kohl Scholarships


text:
Searched for "flensburg". Found 683 results in 20 milliseconds. Displaying results 21 to 30 of 683.
Profile and self-conception
/en/the-university/the-institution/profile-and-self-conception/
Profile of Europa-Universität Flensburg Listen Europa-Universität Flensburg As the northernmost university in Germany, Europa-Universität Flensburg is a young university, having previously been called the "College of Education" (1946-1994) and with 5,000 students and 400 employees it is still one of the smaller universities in Germany. Its green campus on the Flensburg fjord, is located in direct proximity to the Kingdom of Denmark, in the heart of a maritime dominated region. Range of Subjects and Courses Subjects and courses
Doing a PhD in Flensburg
/en/research-portal/early-stage-researchers/doing-a-phd-in-flensburg/
development of training PhD studies at Europa-Universität Flensburg Listen A PhD shows a student's particular [...] in a guaranteed academic career. Clear: The profile of Europa-Universität Flensburg The relatively small Europa-Universität Flensburg offers accredited Bachelor and Master Degree [...] as other spezialized areas. It must be possible to allocate the subject of the PhD thesis and the method used to one of the scientific areas taught at Europa-Universität Flensburg. Europa-Universität Flensburg
This page in other areas
/en/the-university/contact/travel-directions/travel-directions/
Travel directions to Europa-Universität Flensburg Listen Oslo Building (OSL) By rail and by bus From the Flensburg train station: If you arrive at Flensburg central station from Hamburg, Kiel or Denmark, you can reach the Europa-Universität Flensburg within walking distance (2 kilometres uphill), take a [...] " You are now directly in front of the Oslo Building By car From the A7 motorway: Take the exit "Flensburg" on to the highway B 200 then take the B 200 until exit B 199
Living in Flensburg
/en/students/info-beratung/living-in-flensburg/
Living in Flensburg Listen You can find all information on student accommodation in Flensburg provided [...] In addition, there are private halls of residence which are located near the campu General housing market In comparison to other university towns, the housing market in Flensburg is good. Flats, bedsits and rooms in flatshares available to let are advertised on the students' portals of the Students' Union of Europa-Universität Flensburg and the Students' Union of the University of Applied Sciences
History of the Europa-Universität Flensburg
/en/the-university/the-institution/profile-and-self-conception/history-of-the-europa-universitaet-flensburg/
History of the Europa-Universität Flensburg Listen The establishment of the College of Education Flensburg Predecessor of the University of Flensburg was the College of Eduction (Pädagogische Hochschule, PH), which was opened in March 1946 by order of the British occupying forces. In the spring of 1957 the University was granted [...] Nordic University, which had its headquarters in Flensburg and Neumünster, had to close in 1989, the government of the Land Schleswig-Holstein decided in 1991 to strengthen Flensburg as a university
/en/teachers-and-teacher-training/teacher-training/paedagogik/
[Translate to English:] Teilstudiengang Pädagogik Listen Level back [Translate to English:] Aufbau des Teilstudiengangs Pädagogik an der Universität Flensburg Level back
/en/the-university/contact/mailing-address/
Mailing Address of Europa-Universität Flensburg Listen The general postal address of the university is: Europa-Universität Flensburg Auf dem Campus 1 24943 Flensburg It is not necessary to write the name of a specific building on postal items.
/en/students/campuslife/
The campus of Europa-Universität Flensburg Listen What you will find on campus In this section you will find all information about the campus of Europa-Universität Flensburg. On the various sub-pages you can learn about our wide range of offers on campus, the presentation of the student self-administration, our partner on campus and cooperation partner University of Applied Sciences Flensburg and you can also gain a small insight into urban life in Flensburg. Services on Campus Student self
/en/international/coming-to-flensburg/visiting-academics-and-staff/preparation-to-come-to-flensburg/living-in-flensburg/
(copy 1) Listen Living in Flensburg Moin Moin! That's how they say "Hello!" in Flensburg. The 700-year-old trading and harbour town of Flensburg is the northernmost town in Germany and with its population of 85,000 the third largest town in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Cost of Living The cost of living is generally [...] (Mensa) open daily weekdays from 8.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. The menu includes vegetarian dishes daily. Initial one-off costs Transport from Hamburg (airport) to Flensburg ca. 35 €
/en/international/coming-to-flensburg/visiting-academics-and-staff/preparation-to-come-to-flensburg/travel-arrangements/
your student host upon arrival at Hamburg airport! How to get from HAMBURG TO FLENSBURG: By train The trains to Flensburg depart from Hamburg HAUPTBAHNHOF (Hamburg Main Station). The travel time is approx. 2.5 hours. From € 26- € 38 a "Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket" can be obtained at Hamburg central station which allows you to travel from Hamburg to Flensburg with a group up to five people. Please note that the final destination of some trains is KIEL. In these cases, travellers must change at NEUMÜNSTER. (timetable: www.bahn.de > engl.) Upon arrival in Flensburg train
+ Normal webpages (683)
+ No (683)


The U22-160 Extender Kit from Hall Research extends your host PC's USB 2.0 port across a single Cat5e/6 cable to 50 meters (165 ft) with data rates up to 480 Mb/s. No power supply is needed for either side as the local (host) side gets its power from the PC and it sends Power-over-Cable to the remote (device) side. A power supply is included for convenience that can be plugged into the remote end for power hungry USB devices. The remote end has a two port hub that allows the user to connect USB Devices. For use in industrial and commercial applications, and more. This product can be used to extend a broad range of USB devices like webcams, printers, keyboards, and disk drives up to 165 ft (50 m) using a single Cat 5/6 cable.


Discussion in 'Stretching the Gray Matter' started by MrSpock, Dec 22, 2017.
Unifying the apps could help the iOS and macOS platforms "evolve and grow as one, and not one at the expense of the other," says Steven Troughton-Smith, an app developer and longtime voice in the Apple community.
"This would be the biggest change to Apple's software platform since iOS was introduced." Apple is developing the strategy as part of the next major iOS and macOS updates, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss an internal matter. Codenamed "Marzipan," the secret project is planned as a multiyear effort that will start rolling out as early as next year and may be announced at the company's annual developers conference in the summer.
The plans are still fluid, the people said, so the implementation could change or the project could still be canceled.


With a free Google Account, you can send print jobs to the printer at the Main Library from your computer or mobile device. Your print job is sent over the internet, so it can be done at the library or from anywhere with an internet connection.
Pick up your print job at the Circulation desk. Printing is black and white at a cost of $0.20 per page.


text:
Trump White House
Why Everyone in the West Wing Will Need to Lawyer Up
The very high cost of operating in a White House under investigation.
By Abigail Tracy
From left, White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, National Trade Council adviser Peter Navarro, Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, policy adviser Stephen Miller, and chief strategist Steve Bannon watch as President Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office.By Evan Vucci/A.P./Rex/Shutterstock.
In 1996, George Stephanopoulos, then a senior adviser to President Bill Clinton, embroiled at the time in a metastasizing White House scandal, offered some now-prescient words of wisdom to future White House staffers. "I would advise anyone who comes into my job," he told Vanity Fair's Judy Bachrach, "to make sure you have a lawyer on retainer from the day you walk in."
That's the new reality of the Trump West Wing, with multiple congressional committees issuing subpoenas and a special counsel focusing in. One leading white-collar D.C. lawyer compared special investigations to the Bermuda Triangle, "where you have the media and the press, and you have Congress, when you have criminal investigations—all these crosswinds and cross currents have to be dealt with and what makes sense for one of the legs might not make sense for another," he explained. "You need someone with a lot of experience to navigate through all this."
Operating in a White House under investigation is fraught with peril. A counterintelligence probe itself, which is what the Russia investigation began as, will rarely result in criminal charges. But, like Whitewater, this scandal is already snowballing in complex ways. The greatest risk aides face is being accused of obstruction of justice or perjury. "That is the real danger for people," said William Jeffress, a white-collar defense attorney who represented I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby in the investigation into the leak of Valerie Plame's identity under George W. Bush. "You see it time and again in these political investigations, that they wind up, whatever happened wasn't a crime. It may have been a political scandal—but it wasn't a crime—but they charged somebody with perjury or obstruction. So that is the risk for everybody." Libby, who was not charged with any crimes related to the leak of Plame's identity but was prosecuted for perjury and obstruction, is a prime example of this danger.
Jeffress emphasized that a crucial job of an attorney in this phase is to collect information. "Aside from advising his client on their rights and course of action with respect to an investigation, it's just vital for everybody to have a person that can gather facts for them. I mean, for example, it would be extremely unwise for Jared Kushner and anybody else—[Mike] Flynn or whoever else—to sit down and talk to each other . . . [Any] one of them could be compelled to testify about that conversation and any admissions made by that person in that conversation," Jeffress explained, adding that the various lawyers should talk with each other to "put together the facts. They will know what the evidence is going to show and they will be able to advise their client."
Another top D.C. defense lawyer agrees. "Prosecutors are omniscient, they have access to all of the information, but the witness only knows what he knows and that is how you get trapped . . . That applies to anybody who gets subpoenaed, even people who are secretaries or aides or Secret Service detail—anybody."
A massive amount of wealth is about to be transferred to a certain quadrant of the D.C. bar. According to Jeffress, the most experienced and in-demand white-collar lawyers in Washington typically charge corporate clients and people indemnified by corporations over $1,000 per hour—though it's not uncommon for them to cut their rates to somewhere between $750 and $900 per hour for clients who are paying for their representation out of their own pockets—which is even true for non-public officials. But Jeffress noted that even if an individual faces only an interview by the F.B.I. and there aren't gigabytes of information to review, a lawyer would still likely devote 40 to 60 hours on their case. Which at the low end would cost a White House staffer $30,000 and at the high end, $54,000. And if there is a grand jury subpoena, or if the person faces possible criminal exposure, he said the total cost of their legal fees could easily be five times that much.
The blow to many White House staffers' savings will also be amplified by the number of concurrent investigations the Trump administration is embroiled in, which will likely require witnesses to provide numerous testimonies. "Multiple appearances are a prescription for difficulty because every time you are asked to tell the same story, the risk is that you will tell it differently . . . and that's a trap for perjury and false statements," the second D.C. defense lawyer explained. "You have to have somebody prepare you, you have to have somebody monitor to make sure that you are testifying truthfully each time you are asked . . . you have to be ready to make sure that you are being consistent."
For a president, the sticker price for dealing with an independent counsel runs into the eight figures. Between the various scandals that plagued his presidency, Clinton worked with at least half a dozen high-powered lawyers, including Robert Bennett, Mickey Kantor, Charles Ruff, Gregory Craig, Terry Lenzner, and David Kendall. One estimate had the Clintons spending, all told, $11.3 million. A rule of thumb is that legal fees have increased since then by a factor of two—Bennett, one of Clinton's highest-priced attorneys, reportedly charged $475 an hour. David Kendall's fee for representing Clinton was in the three to four hundred dollar-per-hour range, as opposed to current rates of $750 to $900—so Trump could easily spend over $20 million depending on how the investigation proceeds.
But as was the case with Whitewater, the Iran-Contra Affair, the Bush passport scandal, and the Valerie Plame investigation, the financial burden is likely to fall on White House staffers and Trump aides, many of whom are likely to incur legal fees that eclipse their meager government salaries and won't have the opportunity to ink multimillion-dollar book deals like the Clintons. At the time of his interview with Bachrach in 1996, Stephanopoulos had racked up almost $70,000 in unpaid legal bills, more than half of his $125,000 White House salary. "Watch the parade into the grand jury: every time a White House aide walks into that room, a lawyer is wracking up fees," the former senior adviser to Clinton said during a later interview with The New York Times in 1998. "A single trip to the grand jury can cost you $10,000."
White House aides, from left, Clifford Sloan, Neil Eggleston, Bruce Lindsey, George Stephanopoulos, Margaret Williams, Thomas F. III McLarty, Harold Ickes, John Podesta, Mark D. Gearan and Lisa Caputo testifying during the Clinton Whitewater investigation, 1994.
By Terry Ashe/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images.
Stephanopoulos was far from alone in his financial misery after the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky probes. The financial casualties of the Whitewater and subsequent Lewinsky investigations were extensive, and made more painful because Bill said on numerous occasions that he would seek to help his staffers pay their legal bills, though he was later talked out of doing so by his lawyer. Margaret Williams, who was questioned about Vincent Foster's death in the Whitewater probes, accumulated $350,000 in fees, almost three times her salary as Hillary's chief of staff. Roger Altman, who was making $133,600 as deputy treasury secretary during the Clinton administration, faced at least $500,000 in legal fees throughout the proceedings. Lisa Caputo's $75,000 press secretary salary was quickly eclipsed by legal bills of at least $100,000. Bruce Lindsey, a senior adviser to Clinton, faced between $250,000 and $500,000 in legal bills—a hefty sum when you are making $125,000.
The high cost of serving in a scandal-plagued White House was not unique to the Clinton administration, either. During the Iran-Contra scandal under President Reagan, Elliott Abrams faced $200,000 in legal fees on his $80,000 assistant secretary of state salary. Similarly, Janet Mullins and Margaret Tutwiler—who served as political director and the White House communications director under the elder Bush, respectively—were both saddled with bills greater than their annual compensation during the 1992 passport scandal. Mullins faced $400,000 in fees, while Tutwiler suffered $180,000 in legal costs. And Libby was reportedly buried in millions of dollars.
When it comes to paying these fees, presidents have resources that their staff members don't. Much of the Clintons' legal fees were paid by two separate legal defense funds. Between its launch in June 1994 and its dissolution in December 1997, Bill's Presidential Legal Expense Trust reportedly accepted $1.3 million in donations, $766,134 of which was paid out to various law firms to cover the Clintons' mounting legal fees. Then in February 1998, the Clintons started a new legal defense fund, which received $8.7 million in donations by March 2001. Of this sum, $7.4 million went toward paying off the former First Family's outstanding legal bills—$3.9 million short of the total the couple had amassed.
Trump has more options than the Clintons did. He has claimed to be a multi-billionaire, to start with, although a famously penurious one. He could also set up a legal defense fund, for which he couldn't solicit donations directly but would likely rake in millions from wealthy third-party donors. And while other politicians have come under fire by the Federal Election Commission for using campaign funds to pay off legal bills—former Idaho senator Larry Craig, who used campaign funds to pay for his legal defense stemming from his infamous 2007 arrest in a sex sting at the Minneapolis Airport, arguably the most notable and notorious among them—Trump will likely be able to use campaign funds to pay his legal bills due to the fact that the F.B.I. probe is focused on his presidential campaign's Russian ties.
Trump and his staff won't be able to get their legal fees reimbursed by the government, an option that previous administration staffers were able to exercise under a Nixon-era provision that expired in 1999. According to research compiled by Kathleen Clark, an ethics and law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, between 1984 and 1997 a total of $4 million in legal-fee reimbursements was awarded. A staggering $1.54 million stemmed from the Oliver North investigation into the Iran-Contra Affair alone, roughly $562,000 of which was awarded to President Reagan. Mullins and Tutwiler were similarly reimbursed for approximately $223,000 and $136,000, respectively, in the Bush passport scandal under the statute.
Kushner has already hired former deputy attorney general Jamie Gorelick to represent him, but given his wealth, her retainer won't cut too deeply. Other Trump aides—who aren't fortunate enough to be born into a billionaire real-estate family—could launch their own legal defense funds to soften the financial blow—a route Libby and multiple Clinton staffers, including Stephanopoulos, took. But lower-rung staffers are likely to face challenges in raising enough money through such funds, which are also subject to ethical guidelines. "I mean, who are you going to solicit?" the second white-collar lawyer posed. "You can't solicit people who have an interest in front of the government or government contractors, there is a whole list of people who are sort of ineligible to contribute . . . for higher-ups they can do that, but they have to walk the line."
Some staffers could also seek out discounted or pro-bono legal advice, but that path, too, is littered with potential ethical pitfalls and conflict-of-interest concerns. "Ethically, they really can't accept pro-bono legal services because that is probably a gift under the current rules," he said.
There is, of course, the possibility that the Trump administration could waive such ethical guidelines for its staffers, much like it did for its lobbying ban last week. "The Trump administration seems to impose restrictions with one hand and then remove those restrictions with another hand through exemptions or waivers as they call them," Clark told me in an interview. "It's possible that Trump would grant a waiver permitting the 'donation' of legal services from law firms that also lobby, which would otherwise be prohibited for his political appointees to accept."
Abigail Tracy is a national political reporter at Vanity Fair.
Trump Just Exempted White House Staff from His Own Ethics Rules
By Tina Nguyen
V.F. Archive Collection
White House Aides: They Who Serve and Suffer
By Judy Bachrach
Impeachment Watch
Isolated and Enraged, Trump Sets out to Combat Comey Alone


text:
Upjohn Research Home
Upjohn Institute
Home > Upjohn Institute Publications > Upjohn Press Collection > Press > 17
Upjohn Press
Individual Accounts for Social Security Reform: International Perspectives on the U.S. Debate
John A. Turner, AARP Public Policy Institute
10.17848/9781429454858
John Turner uses the documented experiences of many countries—including the U.K., Sweden, Chile, Australia, Canada, and others—and the tools of economics to analyze the public policy issues surrounding the proposed implementation of individual accounts as part of the U.S. Social Security system. The result is a book that clarifies these issues while offering direction to Social Security policymakers. Also included is a comprehensive overview of the types of defined contribution plans in use today.
Full Book PDF
Download 1. Individual Accounts and Social Security Reform (348 KB)
Individual Accounts and Social Security Reform
Introduction to Individual Accounts
Individual Accounts in Social Security Reform: The Debate
Agency Risk and the Management of Individual Account Investments by Corporations and Mutual Funds
Individual Management Risk
Labor Market Issues
Benefits and Taxes
9780880992831 (cloth) ; 9780880992824 (pbk.) ; 9781429454858 (ebook)
LABOR MARKET ISSUES; Retirement and pensions
Order at Amazon
Labor Economics Commons
Turner, John A. 2006. Individual Accounts for Social Security Reform: International Perspectives on the U.S. Debate. Kalamazoo, MI: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. https://doi.org/10.17848/9781429454858
in this collection in this repository
Most Recent Additions
Upjohn Institute Publications
Externally Published Works
Staff Papers and Presentations
Upjohn-Sponsored Grants
Dissertation Awards
Upjohn Institute Experts
Request an Accessible Copy
Home | About | My Account | Accessibility Statement
This website is owned and operated by Elsevier, Inc., through bepress. By creating a user account through this website, you are agreeing to the bepress Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Content on this website is provided by W.E. Upjohn Institute. By viewing or downloading any content, you are agreeing to the W.E. Upjohn Institute Privacy Policy.


The journey detailing all of the unnamed waterfalls along Willow Creek has now been completed. It is located near the Grotto Falls area of the Little River drainage.
This is probably the tallest waterfall on this section and probably the whole creek. The water plunges off an immense and intimidating rock wall. This was one of the coolest spots I've been to that I didn't find a beer can laying around.
This is my dad, Duane Cannon, and I on one of these trips.
This one is the last waterfall on this section of the creek. It is probably about 40-50' high. It is also the prettiest, at least in a dainty sort of way. Terrible lighting for this picture. This was not an easy place to both get to or get out of. Above here, the creek zig-zags along until you get to the swamp that feeds it.
This is a small drop just above the last waterfall. Very, very pretty spot.
This is a small ~10' waterfall on Willow Creek. It was a nice little find during a hike that wasn't a whole lot of fun at this point.
How difficult is it to get to the tall one? Is there anything resembling a trail? Incredible site!
Thanks! The path ends after the 2nd waterfall. As far as how difficult it is, that's sort of relative. I don't think it's too bad, but others would think it fairly prohibitive. I will say that you'll need to cross the creek a few times. As you go up, here's been my strategy: Along the right for the first 2 unnamed falls, along the left until you get to #4 (the tall one). Along the right to climb that spot, then cross just before the creek bends as you come up on #5. Same path back.


The 12 episode web series "Smoke and Mirrors" by Atlanta based filmmakers Artemus Jenkins and KarynRose Bruyning, creates a platform for a dialogue about those complicated things that we can't help but get caught up in. Yeah… relationships.
From the excitement when you first meet someone, to the frustrations that arise when you truly "know" someone, the web series reflects the reality of relationships while appreciating and humanizing the fairytale concept of love.


Always on Display is now comes with many smartphones (Last is Samsung Galaxy Mobile). Now Huawai Mate 20 pro is added. And You can use more effectively with the advance settings for the Always on Display settings. Let's have a look, how to enable it and customize for your needs.
By Default this option is enabled for the new users. But we can turn off or turn on any time. All the ways Huawai Mate 20 or latest Smartphone that cover all the premium feature under the settings. Follow one of these best Tips and Tricks of Huawai Mate 20 Pro.
Go to the Settings app on your Huawai Mate Android mobile.
Next to the Settings, Scroll page and Tap on Home screen & Wallpaper option.
Last option on screen is Always on Display. Tap on it.
Enable Toggle for that keeps your Huawai 20 Pro Display on.
Also You can customize for day wise and Particular time for the day. Supposed you want to turn on this option on Day but disable this option in night.
For that You need to select start time and end time.
That helps to save battery life and Device perforce all the time. Company gives this option for the users satisfaction, But you need to pay for it in terms of Battery Problems, Harm Device after long time.


The compact design of the Go! Travel Keyboard makes better use of limited space environments, and allows for external mice to be placed even closer to the keyboard for reduced shoulder pain and increased comfort. The Go! Travel Keyboard comes with two protective covers (reduces exposure to impacts that could lead to key cap loss when traveling). To remove the covers just slide them into the lower groove of each side of the keyboard, adjust your keyboard and place your keyboard on top of your notebook key for an instant office (rubber backing prevents keyboard from slipping off notebook).
Road warriors and conference room executives now have a safer way to work with the new Goldtouch Go! Travel Notebook Stand! Made from aluminum for strength and high aesthetic appeal, the Go! Travel Notebook Stand offers proper notebook monitor height adjustment. For ease of use and portability, it also collapses compactly into its own neoprene cover. The Go! Travel Notebook Stand is a perfect accessory to your mobile lifestyle!
Soft key touch, low activation force, full key travel distance provides keying comfort and reduces risk from "bottoming out" when keying.
Compact size allows for use in limited space environments and reduces shoulder abduction when reaching for mice and other peripherals.
Contains a USB port on the side of the keyboard to attach a low powered device such as a USB Memory Stick or USB mouse.


What does a conductor actually do? How much effect does he or she have? Can the orchestra manage without one? Why don't the players look at the conductor more? Is it necessary for the conductor to play every instrument? What about interpretation? What happens at rehearsals? Why do some conductors "thrash around" more than others? Who's the boss in a concerto: the soloist or the conductor? These are some of the questions that will receive lively and informative answers in this talk by renowned conductor Christopher Seaman. Music lovers wondering what the figure on the podium actually does, and aspiring conductors eager to learn more about the art and craft of leading an orchestra are advised to come along. Christopher Seaman has enjoyed a busy international conducting career for over forty years. He is now Conductor Laureate for Life of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, New York, and has offered to show the audience how to actually conduct….
This event is for Hatchards Season of music Events.
Tickets are £8 or £15 to attend the season. The tickets are redeemable against the purchase of the book on the night of the event, and include a complimentary glass of wine.


text:
Mare shows plenty of power to win Levin Stakes
Gift of Power winning the Listed Fasttrack Insurance Levin Stakes (1200m) at Otaki on Friday.
Race Images Palmerston North
Talented sprinter Gift of Power took her stakes-winning tally to three at Otaki on Friday when she won the Listed Fasttrack Insurance Levin Stakes (1200m) in dominant fashion.
The four-year-old mare was caught three-wide in an early speed duel with Shadow Fox and race-favourite Indecision, but jockey Lisa Allpress was able to wrestle the ascendancy for the role of pacemaker and the daughter of Power was never headed.
The Team Rogerson-trained runner set a blistering pace to distance her rivals, winning by two and a half lengths over Rock 'N' Affair in a slick time of 1.09.59.
"She was certainly dominant. It takes a very good young mare to do that, sit three wide, do the work and leave them behind," co-trainer Graeme Rogerson said.
"Michelle (Northcote, travelling foreman) said her work on Tuesday morning was as good as she's ever worked.
"I think she is a mare in the top bracket and it would be nice to win a Group One with her."
The $180,000 New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sale purchase will get her chance at the elite level in the coming months, with the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day and Gr.1 JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham in January on her hit-list.
"She's in the Railway and Telegraph and I think she is going back to Manawatu for an open sprint in two weeks' time," Rogerson said.
"She's better left-handed, although she has been placed at Ellerslie."
Rogerson has got a lot of time for the mare, a daughter of Group One-placed Capital Diamond, who descends from the famed Eight Carat-family, and said her connections will be weighing up their options with the mare in the near future.
"She's a very top-class mare and what's her value as a broodmare now? She's from the best pedigree, she's won nine races now."
Her victory is timely for Cambridge Stud who will offer a Tavistock half-brother to Gift of Power at New Zealand Bloodstock's Book 1 session at their Yearling Sale in January next year. – NZ Racing Desk


Archives|THOUSANDS PENNED IN RIVER TUNNEL; Passengers on Ten B.R.T. Trains Walk to Emergency Exit and Stations. 3 OTHER MISHAPS IN DAY Smoke Affects Three Persons When "Blow-Out" Occurs in Seventh Avenue Subway. WATER HALTS MORE TRAINS Another Block Caused When Man Is Caught Between Car and Platform.
THOUSANDS PENNED IN RIVER TUNNEL; Passengers on Ten B.R.T. Trains Walk to Emergency Exit and Stations. 3 OTHER MISHAPS IN DAY Smoke Affects Three Persons When "Blow-Out" Occurs in Seventh Avenue Subway. WATER HALTS MORE TRAINS Another Block Caused When Man Is Caught Between Car and Platform.


Waivers of Unaudited Financial Data Submissions Are Not Warranted - Pursuant to 24 CFR 902.60 (Data Collection), in the event of extenuating circumstances, an HA must request an extension of time to submit its unaudited financial information 15 days before the submission due date, by electronically submitting the requests through the FASS-PH Secure System website. The HA's electronic request must include an objectively verifiable justification as to why the unaudited financial information cannot be submitted by the required due date. The final determination will be forwarded electronically back to the requesting HA.
The only exception for a waiver of time to submit unaudited financial information is within the stipulated guidance issued under a Federal Register Notice, and/or the allowable flexibilities pertained within a Presidentially-Declared Disaster Area(s) Notice for specific state locations and/or specific HAs. During the specified-timeframe only, may a one-time-exception also be applicable to the iNtegrated Assessment System Public Housing Assessment System (NASS/PHAS) scoring, which may possibly include the indicators/sub-indicators of subsequent Program offices' (where necessary). Specifically, the PHAS indicators of Physical Assessment Subsystem (PASS); Management Assessment Subsystem (MASS), and Capital Fund Program (CFP).
REAC Industry Day - REAC invites technology professionals and staff working with PIC, VMS, and UPCS-V to the 2017 Industry Day event. We have added two new cities to the event and it will take place July 25-26 in Los Angeles, CA and July 27-28 in Portland, OR. Please see the tentative schedule and register here. The materials from these sessions are now available here.
REAC Industry Day - REAC invites technology professionals and staff working with PIC, VMS, and UPCS-V to the 2017 Industry Day event. The event will take place April 4-5 in Phoenix, AZ and April 6-7, 2017 in Jacksonville, FL. Please see the tentative schedule and register here. The materials from these sessions are now available here.
PHA Listening Sessions – Discussed Changes to the COCC - HUD hosted several listening sessions around the country from October – December 2016 to discuss possible changes to the amount and type of fees that a PHA's COCC can charge and the eligible uses of these funds by the COCC. The materials from these sessions are now available.
PHA Listening Sessions Presentations. HUD hosted several listening sessions around the country from July – September 2016 to discuss HUD's efforts to revitalize core business functions for the public housing and the Housing Choice Voucher programs. The presentations from these sessions are now available.
Under the National Disaster Recovery Framework/Federal Disaster Recovery Coordination, HUD has been designated the Coordinating Agency for examination of housing-related issues and unmet housing needs after a major disaster declaration working closely with primary agencies and supporting organizations. Under the NDRF/FDRC, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, HUD and the Housing Recovery Support Function were tasked with developing the Housing Recovery Support Strategy. The Housing RSS supports State and local efforts with regards to the preservation, rehabilitation, and development of housing in impacted communities. Recommendations include support for public housing resiliency measures by PHAs to mitigate against future storms, which may be of interest to a wide audience of PHAs, not just PHAs directly impacted by Hurricane Sandy in New York. For further information, please click here (see Chapter 3 of the anthology – Housing).
Secure Systems Access Disabled after 90-days of Inactivity - HUD Handbook 2400.25, revision 1, Section 5.1 states, "User IDs will are disabled after a period of inactivity of no more than 90 days." Secure Systems will start implementing this policy starting November 1st, 2007, therefore all Secure Systems users must log on to Secure Systems to prevent the disabling of their account due to inactivity. If your account is disabled, please contact the Technical Assistance Center to reactivate your account.
PDF Reports in Schedule/View Inspections - Issue Resolved: As of May 1, 2006, the technical issue that prevented access to Inspection Summary Reports and Investor Reports via the "Schedule/View Inspections" link in Secure Systems has been resolved. Please contact the Technical Assistance Center(TAC) at 1-888-245-4860 if further assistance is required.
Forgot your password to PIH-REAC Systems?
Password reset requires you to provide exact information from your original registration.
Passwords must be changed every 60 days for the Secure Systems.
QASS enforcement actions: HUD is actively pursuing administrative actions against certified public accounting firms for deficient audit procedures.


This article courtesy of Rebecca Sweet of Harmony in the Garden.
The garden was in dire need of a garden overhaul (see before picture at left). The home is darling with its mix of jewel-toned colors and Craftsman-style charm. However, the half-dead lawn overrun with weeds and California poppies certainly wasn't doing it any favors.
As she does with all of her clients, Rebecca's first meeting involved discussing all possibilities and ideas to help focus their goals. They ultimately ended up with a wish-list for the garden that included having plants that were colorful, inviting, low-maintenance and low-water.
Read more about the garden makeover process via this link. You can also see the full list of Sunset Western Garden Collection plants used in the garden, along with Rebecca's reason for choosing each (full list below).
Black Adder Phormium – a longtime favorite of mine with jet black foliage, growing to 3×3.
'Sunshine' Ligustrum – a privet? Yep, but not just any privet. A sterile chartreuse variety that grows to just 5'x4′ and stays evergreen and tidy throughout the year without spreading throughout the garden.
Platinum Beauty™ Lomandra– always a fan of the dark green variety, this new variegated version makes my heart soar. It's one of the toughest, and most beautiful, evergreen grasses you can use in the landscape.
'Meerlo' Lavender – my favorite lavender of all time (you can read why I love it so much here), with incredibly fragrant, variegated foliage that looks fabulous every day of the year.
'Amistad' Salvia – this larger variety has dark green foliage with giant, deep purple blooms for months on end, grows to 5′ x 4′ and will draw in every hummingbird in the area.
'Ember's Wish' Salvia – I first saw this blooming in a nursery at Lake Tahoe last year, and fell in love with its coral flowers. They'll look beautiful planted near the maroon foliage of the loropetalum.
'Love and Wishes' Salvia – a slightly smaller variety than 'Amistad' with more deep purple blooms.
Illumination® 'Apricot' Digiplexis® – another in the Illumination series, the apricot blooms of this perennial is guaranteed to stop people in their tracks. It looks like a foxglove, but is so much hardier, with blooms lasting from Spring through Fall.


Charles Dickens adapted Sikes and Nancy from the grislier material in Oliver Twist. It became the most notorious of his legendary Public Readings; a masterpiece of high Gothic melodrama.
Audiences were shocked into silence. Women would scream and faint. "I shall tear myself to pieces" Dickens vowed before one performance. He surely did – it is now thought that the strain of 'The Murder' hastened Dickens's early death.


So this time I get in the gym to try a muscle-building workout set for me by top physique competitor, Gabriel Sey.
As a member of the national GB American Football team, my training is usually geared up towards explosive strength and power. Gabriel's gym training is aimed at muscle-building for particular body parts to create a full, aesthetic physique that will stand out on stage.
Check out the video to see how will I coped with a 'no pain, no gain' workout based on intensity and volume.